Millions Watched This Veteran Tell Stories on TikTok – Now He Became an Author

James Anderson, 84, doesn’t look like someone who became an internet sensation.

When I arrive, he’s at the kitchen table, sleeves rolled, holding a coffee mug. On the counter behind him sits a small stack of hardcover books. His name is on the spine.

A year ago, almost nobody outside his town knew who he was. Today, millions have watched his stories and recently, he became a published author.

It started, as these things often do, by accident.

You didn’t exactly set out to become an internet personality – so how did this all begin?

I still don’t know what that means. Sounds like something you catch, not something you choose. (laughs) It started with my granddaughter. She was visiting, phone always in her hand like the rest of them. One day she says, “Grandpa, tell me about the time you flew that plane.” I told her. Thought that was the end of it. Turns out she was filming.

Next thing I know, she’s showing me numbers – views, comments. People asking questions. Not polite, either. Direct. “What was it like?” “Were you scared?” “What did you eat?” That sort of thing. Figured I owed them an answer if they asked straight. So we made another video. Then another. It became a routine. Sit down, she hits record, and I talk. No script. Never liked scripts.

A lot of your stories touch on the war, but not exclusively – what did you choose to share, and why do you think people connected with it?

Yeah. People think that’s all there is. War. It’s part of it, sure. But it’s not the whole meal. I told them about learning to fly, about screwing it up the first time. Told them about coming home, trying to figure out what to do when nobody’s telling you where to stand anymore.

I think people connected because it’s not neat. Life isn’t neat. You don’t come back and suddenly everything makes sense. You build something out of the mess. Or at least try to.

The videos spread. What started as a handful of clips turned into a following – people returning daily, asking more and more questions, commenting and sharing videos.

That’s when Memowrite entered the picture.

When Memowrite approached you about turning your stories into a book, what was your initial reaction – and what made you change your mind?

Suspicion. (smiles) Always read the fine print, that’s what I say. They wanted me to write a book. I told them they had the wrong guy. I’m not a writer.

But they said I didn’t have to be. Told me not to write – just talk. Which was the first smart thing they said. They’ve got this web app – you open it, hit record, and say your piece. Everything gets transcribed as you go. 

So the process itself felt similar to what you were already doing – and did the final book still feel like it was truly yours?

Almost identical. Same deal – I sit down, start answering, maybe wander off a bit, come back around. The difference is, no clock ticking. You can take your time, let a story stretch its legs.

And yeah – it’s mine. That’s the important part. The words stay yours. They didn’t clean it up so much it lost its teeth. It still sounds like me. Same voice people heard in the videos. Just… more of it.

It made it honest. I wasn’t sitting there staring at a blank page, pretending to be clever. I was talking like I always talk. Just had more room to breathe.

What surprised you most once you got into it – were there stories you found yourself telling that you didn’t expect? And was that difficult at all?

The stuff that had nothing to do with the war. That surprised me. I ended up talking about my childhood. My parents. The first job I had that didn’t go anywhere. The people I met after I came back – the ones who made life worth sticking around for.

Sometimes it was difficult. But in a good way. Like cleaning out a garage you’ve been avoiding. You find things you forgot you had. Some of it you toss. Some of it… you keep close.

When the book was finally done, who did you share it with first – and how did that moment compare to the attention you’d been getting online?

Family. Always start there. Gave one to my granddaughter. Seemed fair – she started the whole mess.

And it felt better than the views. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice people listen. But handing something like that to the people who matter… that’s different. 

For someone reading this who feels like they don’t have a story – or wouldn’t even know how to begin – what would you say to them?

I’d say they’re wrong. Everyone’s got something. Might not be war stories. Might not involve flying planes or going viral. Doesn’t matter.

What matters is that it’s yours. That it happened to you. You don’t need to be a writer. Just be willing. Sit down and tell the truth as you remember it. No fancy words required.

You’d be surprised what people are willing to listen to – if you just tell them.

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Outside, the day carries on like any other. Inside, at a kitchen table, a man who never meant to become a storyteller has done exactly that – 

just by answering one question.

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